This film came out at the perfect time. With “Infernal Affairs” practically reviving the Hong Kong film market, knock-outs after knock-outs have been produced. The one thing though, the comedy market hasn’t really capitalized on the new renaissance. Korea seems to be dominating in the market of comedy over in Asia, which is a damn shame because Hong Kong cinema uses to be the number one producer of Asian comedies. Then out of no where, BAM, “Men Suddenly in Black’ pops out. At first glimpse, this film seemed to be a serious crime drama about four hooligans about to go on a major job. The film markets itself as a black comedy, and one can’t help but think that it means something along the lines of shooting someone in the face and then laughing about it. Rest assured, it’s not THAT kind of black comedy.

What makes this film so damn funny is that it takes the conventions of your typical crime drama and somehow manages to blend it perfectly with comedy. The opening moments where the rundown is discussed is done so with such meticulous planning, that the notion of cheating on your wife seems to take more planning than actually killing someone! The parallels to the crime genre are evident in every scene, but never does it take center-stage. When the guys go visit a fallen ‘brother,’ you see him as a great and fearless leader that sacrificed himself for his other brothers. But in reality, the guy just let himself get caught relaxing with a bunch of women by a group of wives, so his buddies could escape the club. The beauty of it all is you don’t see it the way it really is, you see it as a great triad boss that has much love and respect for his crew that he’ll willingly sacrifice himself to let the family go on. It’s the films ability to make it seem like a crime drama with a tint of comedy (rather than vice versa) that makes it such a delight to watch.

The cast, my god, the cast. Eric Tsang channels his “Infernal Affairs” character into this role with much success. His cold-blooded actions and chilling smirks are all here…but all coated on the canvas of a little pervert. His character is described perfectly by the scene which is a direct parody of the meal at the police station in IA. While his buddies are standing behind him, he’s eating from a whole table of dishes from the local eatery. When the other side comes in and gives him a hard time, he gives his infamous tantrum of rage and knocks all the dishes off the table. But guess what? These aren’t cops giving him a hard time, their hookers. His commitment to make it look so authentic is done perfectly. Jordan Chan plays the hesitant character. He’s like the triad member that wants out because he’s made a life for himself, but he can’t let his brothers down. His balance of the new self-made man and the old a-good-time-searching scoundrel is executed with much panache and success. Man Chat-To’s character is the seedy and shady triad member that may appear to be the guy that will backstab you at the blink of an eye, but is loyal regardless of his short-comings. The cast of wives also gets time to flesh out their characters. I could go on and on about how amazing they are, but I have to move on to the best actor out of this ensemble. Tony Leung Ka Fai easily gives the best performance as the fallen leader. The scene where he confronts all of his buddies’ wives really takes comedic acting to the next level. Teary-eyed, he delivers his last words of freedom and takes a swig of alcohol. Damn, what a heroic character, and all he did was cheat on his wife! Rounding out the core cast is a slew of cameos that only makes the experience more enjoyable.

I rarely find a film with no flaws. To me, “Men Suddenly in Black” is flawless in its execution and content. For what the film is, it strives to be so much more and actually succeeds. When a perfect cast, director, and script come together, the end results are always spectacular. “Men Suddenly in Black” meets the spectacular demand and blows the audience out of the water. Its marriage of crime drama and comedy is genius. This film continues to breathe in hope for the new Hong Kong cinema revival. Highly, highly recommended.